APC holds parallel LG congresses

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State on Sunday joined the list of states which held parallel local government congresses.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the National Congress Committee for Oyo State led by Mr Musa Halilu-Ahmed had on Friday shifted the congress to Sunday due to Saturday’s local government election in the state.

NAN also reports that the APC in the state is presently divided into two factions, with one loyal to Gov. Abiola Ajimobi while the other tagged, “ Unity Forum, ‘’ has the Minister of Communications, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, and some federal and state lawmakers as members.

The polarisation of the party led to the different congresses, with the two groups holding the exercise at the APC secretariats and local government secretariats across the 33 local governments in the state.

A NAN correspondent, who monitored the congresses, reports that the Unity Forum held the congress for Akinyele, Ibadan North West and Oluyole Local Government Areas at the APC secretariat.

The Forum, however, held that of Ibadan North East Local Government at St. Imperial Primary School, Oluyoro, said to be the meeting venue of the party.

The exercise was also conducted in the party’s secretariat across the state.

The governor’s faction of the party held the exercise at the local government secretariat in Ibadan North East Local Government, Ibadan South West Local Government and Oluyole Local Government as well as council areas in the state.

NAN, however, reports that APC congress committee members and INEC officials were sighted at the congress held by the group loyal to the governor.

Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun, the Secretary of the Unity Forum, told NAN that the congress was peaceful.

He said that the committee sold forms to members of both factions, adding that his group held its congress at the APC secretariats in the 33 local government areas across the state.

Olatunbosun also stated that the congress was successful and in accordance with the regulations of the party.

But Mr Mojeed Olaoya, the State Secretary of the party in Oyo State, said that there was no parallel congress in the state.

Olaoya, who also said the congress was held at only the local government secretariats in the 33 local governments across the state, added that he was unaware of any parallel exercise in the state.

He said any congress held at places different from the local government secretariats in the 33 local government areas contravened the guidelines of the party.